1 Thessalonians 5:15

See that none render evil for evil unto any man, but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves and to all men.

In concluding his letter the apostle gives the Thessalonian Christians some rules of order as to how they ought to conduct themselves. He speaks first of all of their behavior toward their teachers: But we beg you, brethren, to know those which toil among you and preside over you in the Lord and maintain discipline, and regard them superabundantly in love for the sake of their work. He speaks of the members of the presbytery in the various functions of their office. In the spirit of true evangelical admonition he does not command and threaten, but he begs them to heed and follow his words. The Thessalonian Christians should know, acknowledge with due respect, give full credit to, those who in the work of their office are engaged in toil, in hard work, in their midst. For these officers were presiding over them in the Lord, they were guiding them, overseeing them in His behalf. Their work, moreover was not merely in the nature of teaching and instructing, but also of admonishing and warning, both in a general way and in specific instances. In short, these men were both preachers and pastors. And theirs was a toil, a form of hard work. The persons outside of the ministerial office, and also those within the office that regard the work as a sinecure, have not the slightest conception of its requirements and responsibilities. But Paul, speaking in the name of the Lord, bids the Christians esteem the men that hold this office very exceedingly, superabundantly in love. They are not merely to be tolerated as necessary evils, but they are to be regarded in true love, not for the sake of their person (for they are but sinful men), but for the sake of their work, their office. The apostle assumes, of course, that all ministers that bear the title properly will also faithfully perform the serious work for the souls entrusted to their care. Note: This admonition is very timely also in our days; for though the ministers are given a certain amount of reverence, the love and esteem which the apostle here names is often sadly missing.

The next admonition of Paul concerns the brotherly relation which should obtain within the Christian congregation itself: Be at peace among yourselves. This exhortation is always timely and salutary, even where there are no serious disagreements afoot, and surely in Thessalonica, where Paul was obliged to point out the need of a quiet life, of every one's attending strictly to his own business, and of making his living honestly. With these two basic points established, esteem for their ministers and peace among themselves, the Thessalonian Christians would be glad to follow also the other admonitions of the apostle: But we beseech you, brethren, admonish the disorderly, encourage the faint-hearted, support the weak, be long-suffering toward all. See to it that no one render evil for evil to anyone else, but always follow after the good toward one another and toward all. In a large congregation it was to be expected that not all members would prove to be model Christians. For that reason the disorderly, those that could not be induced to maintain order, but were always going forward in an aimless manner to the detriment of the work of the congregation, were to be admonished and set right, so that their work, done in an orderly way, would be of some benefit to the Church. The fainthearted were to be encouraged; whatever the sorrow and grief was that was stirring their soul, they were to be cheered with comforting truth from the Word of God. The weak were to be supported, held up spiritually, by passing an arm around them, as it were, as being precious in the sight of God; the strong should not become tired of always deferring to the weakness of less enlightened brethren and of instructing them with all patience. Toward all men the Christians were so to comport themselves as never to lose their temper, always to let true equanimity of mind govern their every action. Closely connected with this is the thought that Christians should be on their guard at all times, lest someone pay back an evil, an insult in kind. It is essential that believers leave vengeance to the Lord. In short, they should always aim at that which is good, not only in the midst of their own congregation, but also toward others, toward all men, in fact. These are fundamental principles for proper Christian conduct, which every Christian will do well to heed; for it is only by the most assiduous pursuit of the virtues here mentioned that headway may be made in Christian sanctification.